ASTM F1578-01

Standard Practice for Contact Closure Cycling of a Membrane Switch

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Contact closure cycling is useful to manufacturers and users for determining the effect of repeated closing of switch contacts or the effect of repeated flexure of other switch components.
The characteristic(s) are measured before cycling begins and then again after cycling ends.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the setup, procedure, and apparatus required to depress and release a membrane switch to a predetermined number of cycles.  
1.2 This practice also covers the optional use of specified voltage and current during the cycling of the membrane switch.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Jun-2001
• ICS: 31.220.20 - Switches
• Technical Committee: F01 - Electronics
• Drafting Committee: F01.18 - Printed Electronics

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM F1578-00 - Standard Practice for Contact Closure Cycling of a Membrane Switch
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Replaced By: ASTM F1578-07 - Standard Test Method for Contact Closure Cycling of a Membrane Switch
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2007
• Referred By: ASTM F3291-17 - Standard Test Method for Measuring the Force-Resistance of a Membrane Force Sensor (Withdrawn 2023)
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001
• Referred By: ASTM F2865-13(2021) - Standard Guide for Classifying the Degrees of Ingress of Dust and Water into a Membrane Switch (Withdrawn 2023)
• Effective Date: 10-Jun-2001

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation:F 1578–01
Standard Practice for
1
Contact Closure Cycling of a Membrane Switch
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 1578; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3.1.8 membrane switch—a momentary switching device in
which at least one contact is on, or made of, a flexible
1.1 This practice covers the setup, procedure, and apparatus
substrate.
required to depress and release a membrane switch to a
predetermined number of cycles.
4. Significance and Use
1.2 This practice also covers the optional use of specified
4.1 Contact closure cycling is useful to manufacturers and
voltageandcurrentduringthecyclingofthemembraneswitch.
users for determining the effect of repeated closing of switch
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
contacts or the effect of repeated flexure of other switch
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
components.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.2 The characteristic(s) are measured before cycling begins
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
and then again after cycling ends.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
5. Apparatus
2. Referenced Documents
2 5.1 Suitable Electronic Monitoring Device, to detect and
2.1 ASTM Standards:
count contact closure at a specified test rate and duty cycle.
D 2240 Test Method for Rubber Property—Durometer
5.2 Surface, flat, smooth, unyielding, and larger than the
Hardness
switch.
F 1597 Test Method for Determining the Actuation Force
5.3 Test Probes, built to either of the configurations shown
and Contact Force of a Membrane Switch
in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, are acceptable but must be made of an inert
3. Terminology elastomeric material with a hardness number equivalent to
A/45 65 as measured in accordance withTest Method D 2240.
3.1 Definitions:
Test probes that do not meet this criteria must be specified and
3.1.1 actuation force—the maximum force measured prior
recorded fully.
to or including the point at which contact closure is achieved
5.4 Device, which will cycle the probe repeatedly into and
on a membrane switch.
awayfromtheswitchataspecifiedtestrateanddutycycle,and
3.1.2 contact closure—the event at which a specified resis-
whichiscapableofprovidingmeansforcountingprobecycles.
tance is achieved.
The motion of the probe should be perpendicular to the plane
3.1.3 contact force—the force at contact closure.
of the switch.
3.1.4 duration—the number of depressions and release
5.5 Power Supply, capable of supplying specified voltage or
cycles.
current, or both, if required.
3.1.5 duty cycle—the ratio of switch closed time to total
cycle time.
6. Procedure
3.1.6 specified resistance—maximum allowable resistance
6.1 Pretest Setup:
as measured between two terminations whose internal switch
6.1.1 Secure the switch on a test table.
contacts are held closed to complete a circuit.
6.1.2 Measure the desired characteristics of the switch so
...